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Gardeners' Notes:

I'm a recovering overwaterer who suffers many, many relapses. After several fatal disasters with aloe claviflora, Ive given up on it and opted for it's slightly less demanding cousin, falcata. Both plants have that fat, cushiony, tapered leaf that I like the look of but my small falcata is already proving less water sensitive, having doubled it's size since acquisition as a very small pup about a year ago. My claviforas started bitching and losing their roots right away under the same conditions.

Contrary to the many dour assertions about the fussiness of this plant to be found on the interweb, I'm finding it trouble-free thus far through a horribly wet and grey southern hemisphere summer. I have it potted in a 'fast' mix and bring it in when it's looking sodden, but it's proving no more temperamental than any other aloe. I would not, however, plant it in the ground in a non-xeriscape area- that's begging for trouble.

It's handling the crazy light levels this summer (dusk-grey for two weeks followed by two days of 35oC paint-stripping solar blasts that've seared some of my other succulents). No trace of sunburn. So that's cool too!

I've given it a generous terracotta root run which is insulating it from the extremes of temp and moisture fluctuations that probably killed my clavifloras. So if you're having trouble with falcata, go up a pot size, ease up on the water and try lots of large-grade pumice in the mix, and as a topping around the base of the plant.

All in all, seems like a happy wee plant with no obvious vices. Looking forward to flowers in a few years time.

Falcata has been in my gardens for over 18 years. It requires no addtional water (rain is enough). It has a fine sandpaper skin, pale blue greenish color and had mutliple heads till it was moved and they came apart.

nice stemmless solitary to rarely clumping drought tolerant blue green plant with prominent and sharp red-brown teeth. Leaves upright forming dense rosettes and very stiff and brittle (not flexible) with a subtle rough texture to them. Good landscape plant for very dry open gardens, where turquoise coloration will stand out. Tends to be a bit prone to rot if over watered, particularly in blazing heat of summer (though I havent' experienced this personally with mine... but was warned not to water much, if at all, in summer). South African native.